Village Builders in Creemore has been in the construction business for over 30 years. We build custom homes and specialize in renovations and additions.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Steam showers in your home

Steam showers

The new trending item that is being installed in master Ensuite bathrooms today is the steam shower.

It is actually very simple to install when you are having your custom home built. All you have to do is design your shower so that it is enclosed on all sides. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have glass; it just means that you have to limit the amount of open space above the glass.

The reason that a steam shower works is because the steam once it is created is trapped in the shower enclosure with you and cannot easily escape. This allows the shower area to heat up and fill with the steam.
Modern day steam units are actually very simple and compact. All they require is the unit to be mounted in a room next to the shower and have the steam pipes traveling into the shower. The actual steam unit that is installed in the neighbouring room needs 240v electrical run to it and water lines. That’s all that is required, there is no drain needed because the shower will have a drain for the steam once it cools and falls to the floor. The actual controls for the steam unit are low voltage so they can be run through the wall and are left sticking out of the cement board, this ensures that they won’t get buried in the wall or covered over when the wall gets tiled. The simple controls hang on the wall and with a touch of a button will give you steam when you want it.

When building a steam shower there are certain things that you should do, one is design the shower so that there is a bench or a seat in it. This will allow the person using the steam to side down and enjoy their steam room. Build the shower big enough that it can function as a shower and a steam room with the seat in it.

Make sure that the bathroom has a high end exhaust fan that is rated to move a large amount of air. Steam showers create a large amount of condensation and can damage drywall and cabinetry if the moist air isn’t removed in a timely manner from the bathroom area.

Buy a quality unit; the more expensive the unit the faster it will make steam, if you buy a cheaper unit you will be forced to wait a longer time for the steam to be produced once you push the button.

You also want to make sure that your steam unit has a timer setting so that someone doesn’t turn it on and forget about. You want the timer so that it turns itself off and doesn’t endlessly make steam, this could severally damage your bathroom and cost you a small fortune in electricity bills.

The only other thing that you need to do is sit and enjoy. Let the stresses of modern day life wash away with the steam.